Rotary valve



NITED STATES PATENT OFFCE.

THOMAS RICHARDS, OF PLATTSBURG, NEW YORK.

ROTARY Speccaton of Letters Patent No.

To all 'whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS RICHARDS, of Plattsburg, in the county ofClinton and State of New York, have invented a new and ImprovedContinuously-Rotating Valve for Steam-Engines; and I do hereby declarethat the following is a full and exact description thereof, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings and the marks of referencethereon.

The nature of my invention consists in the arrangement of the steam andexhaust passages and those communicating with the cylinder, upon acircular face in such a manner that by the continuous revolution of thevalve the alternate transmission of steam may be effected.

To enable others skilled in the art, to make and use my invention, Iproceed to describe its construction and operation.

Figure l, represents the valve seat (or disk) on which the valve is torevolve. A, A, A are the ports or passages communieating with one end ofthe cylinder. B, B, B are passages in connection with the other end ofthe cylinder. C, C, C steam pipe or port for conveying the steam fromthe boiler to the cylinder. D, D, D exhaust port which conducts thesteam to the atmosphere or condenser. Fig. 2, is asection showing theconnections with each end of the cylinder. Fig. 3, is a section showingthe steam and exhaust ports which cross each other in the center. Fig. 4represents t-he face of the valve plate with four cavities marked E, E,E, E, which conduct the steam alternately to each end of the cylinder,and also communicate alternately with the atmosphere or condenser. Fig.5 is a section showing the Valve plate and seat in their relativepositions.

The Valve being in its place we will suppose that the four surfacesbetween the chambers of the revolving valve plate are in such a positionas to immediately cover the two steam andthe two exhaust ports, thatthere will be no communication with either end of the cylinder, this isthe po- VALVE.

19,443, dated February 23, 1858.

sit-ion in which the valve would be when passing on to transfer thecurrent of steam from one end of the cylinder to the other. Now if thevalve plate be moved the steam will be admitted to one end of thecylinder' and that which is in the other allowed to escape, bycontinuing the onward motion of the valve plate, alternatecommunications of the steam and exhaust passages will be effected witheach end of the cylinder. i

Again the valve plate being in the same position above supposed, thesame results will be effected by moving it in a contrary directionadmitting the steamto the other end of the cylinder which will beequivalent to reversing the engine.

Bearing in mind the fact that whenever the valve plate is in such aposition as to admit the steam to one end of the cylinder, the other endwill always have a communication with the exhaust passages it will alsobe seen that the valve plate may be used by merely moving it a certaindistance from the position first assumed, to admit the steam and movingit to an equal distance on the other side of that position to allow 'thesteam to escape, that is allowing it to vibrate in an arc of a circleinstead of allowing it to revolve.

Having thus fully described the nature and object of my invention, whatI claim therein as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,

In combination with a continuously rotating valve plate, having the fourcavities E, and closed spaces between them, the ports orl passages A,and B, which communicate respectively with opposite ends of thecylinder, and the steam and exhaust ports or passages O, D, crossingeach other at the center of the valve, the whole arranged and operatingsubstantially in the manner, and for the purpose set forth.

THOMAS RICHARDS.

Vitnesses:

E. R. PIERCE, MARTIN BIXBY.

